Star Wars A New Hope Science Fiction Analysis

Star Wars: A New Hope for Science Fiction

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, science fiction was not the blockbuster budget genre that it is today. In 1978, Star Wars: A New Hope first appeared on the “silver screen,” marking the first installment of what would become a sprawling film franchise. Straight from the mind of George Lucas, Star Wars created a massive universe comprised of diverse characters and lifelike worlds. In the movie, the galaxy is ruled by a totalitarian government called the Galactic Empire, known for its cruel acts like unjustly destroying planets and enslaving wookies. In order to end the reign of the Galactic Empire, a group of insurgents led by Princess Leia, which go by the name of the Rebel Alliance, attempt

If there is one thing people love as an audience, it is being able to root for an underdog that is in the right. In an article about the the film’s impact on culture today, the author says, “the movie touched a deep nerve [...] It gave expression to popular myths in American culture. The heroic rebels succeeded by virtue not of technological advantages, but through greater commitment, diversity, and justness of cause” (Meyer). The conflict between the opposing forces of right and wrong, which are represented by the rebels and the Galactic Empire, is something that everyone in the audience could identify with and made Star Wars an even bigger hit. Furthermore, it was especially exciting for children to have a heroic figure to look up to like Luke Skywalker. Though he came from humble beginnings, being a farmer on a backwater planet, he has a destiny which he realizes throughout the movie. In an article by Marc Snetiker, he talks about his own experiences with the film growing up. He says, “I needed Luke to win. Even more so, I needed Darth Vader to lose. Without realizing it, I learned more about ‘the good guys’ and ‘the bad guy’ – and which one I wanted to be – than any storybook or Sunday school lesson could teach” (Snetiker). He is not the only one that felt this way. For many people, these films were not just explosions and mindless

For instance, The Force is introduced as a vague spiritual power that can be used for good or evil, and exists in all living things. This concept is found, in one way or another, in the majority of eastern and western religions, which allowed for a greater audience to relate. Since most religions reward helping to facilitate the cause of cosmic justice, such as in the concept of karma for example, members of the audience can identify with the Jedi, who represent a force of good in the films. An additional instance of symbolism is found in the theme of nature over technology. In the film, the rebels are underdogs possessing little in the way of technological might. The Galactic Empire, on the other hand, has nearly limitless access to technology and resources. The stormtroopers wear high-tech suits, a menacing robot is used to interrogate and torture Princess Leia, and the Empire is even led by a half-mechanical villain, Darth Vader. As seen in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, even refers to Darth Vader as “more machine [...] than man” (Lucas and Kasdan 33). However, despite wielding a moon-sized space station with the firepower capacity to annihilate entire planets, the Galactic Empire loses to a ragtag alliance of free people with a less than formidable fleet of X-wing fighters, thus